Finding a career coach or mentor can be challenging for women in a male-dominated industry. However, having someone you can relate to and turn to for guidance and support professionally is valuable.
Women in the automotive industry were treated to an SBN Facebook and Instagram live chat in early March where they discovered how to foster a successful mentor/mentee relationship.
Watch the recording of the live chat, featuring Jody DeVere, CEO of AskPatty.com Inc., here. DeVere is internationally recognized speaker who educates the automotive industry at-large, and promotes, mentors and supports careers for women in the automotive industry.
Key takeaways from the live chat for mentees include:
- You don't have to have a mentor in your line of business. Many skills you may need cross over to a variety of fields.
- Don't be afraid to reach out because you are embarrassed. Have the courage to help yourself. If one person can't help you, ask them to refer you to someone who can.
- Consider having peer-to-peer mentors and consider them as your personal board of directors to ask advice to and support one another.
- As a mentee, you drive the relationship. It is up to you to make sure your needs are met, and mentors are guides to help you find your own answers.
- Ask yourself "Who am I spending the most time with?" That's who you are going to be.
For mentors:
- Set up an initial meeting with mentee/mentor to lay out the ground rules
- Mentors are guides to help mentees find their own answers
- Creating a trusted relationship is important
- Be aware of the differences between career coaching, sponsoring, and mentoring
- You can be peer mentors at any level or any stage of your career. There's always someone coming up behind you who doesn't know what you know.
- Mentoring doesn't always have to be one-on-one. You can mentor to a group of people and still be a mentor.